Coal news and updates

China’s historic drought forces a return to coal

Faced with crippling power cuts and the worst drought in modern history, China is shelving plans to reduce its reliance on coal, as cities and factories around the country struggle to keep the lights on and stay open.

Record-high temperatures have dried up reservoirs and crippled the energy-generating capacity of giant hydropower schemes such as the Three Gorges Dam this week, throwing the focus back onto coal despite Beijing’s commitment to slash greenhouse gas emissions.